It’s poppin’ – It’s poppin’! Jalapeno poppers are a fan-favorite for any party, and wrapping them in bacon takes the flavor level up another delicious notch. With Super Bowl LVI, March Madness, and spring events just around the corner, these Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers by February Featured Chef Brianna Ascher is on our list of dishes to bring to every party. Follow along with the recipe below.
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Recipe By: Brianna Ascher | Brianna’s Instagram
USWM Shopping List: Sugar-Free Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon Grease
Ingredients
- 8-12 Whole Jalapenos (1 jalapeno = 2 poppers)
- 1 Package of Bacon (avoid thick cut, if possible)
- 8oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- ~1 TBS Bacon Grease, reserved
- Garlic Powder, to taste
- Paprika, to taste (smoked paprika is tasty, too)
- Toothpicks (at least 2 per jalapeno)
Recipe Prep/Tips
- WEARING GLOVES, wash and slice jalapenos lengthwise, leaving the stems on. Clean out the seeds. Do not touch your face after handling the jalapenos.
- You’ll need roughly one slice of bacon per jalapeno – if you don’t use the whole pack for this recipe, you can either do some meal prep and cook the extra slices while you’re already semi-cooking the halves for this recipe OR pop back in the refrigerator and save for another day.
- Slice bacon crosswise (you can leave full length and wrap around poppers multiple times, but I prefer less wrapping). If you choose not to slice for the poppers, you’ll need 2 slices of bacon per jalapeno.
- Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator in advance to come to room temp.
- If shredding the cheddar cheese, leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to actually shred it. It’s easier to shred when it’s still cold.
- Take out toothpicks before starting any cooking or assembly – your hands will get dirty and it’s easier to have them at the ready rather than washing your hands repeatedly because you need more from the box.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure it is nonstick. Complete jalapeno and bacon prep (slicing and cleaning jalapenos, slicing bacon).
- On medium-high heat, preferably in a cast iron pan, fry sliced bacon for a few minutes on each side – not enough to cook through, only to render some of the grease. Bacon should still look mostly raw/uncooked. Place the semi-cooked slices on the parchment-lined baking sheet to cool so that you can handle it when ready to wrap your poppers. Don’t worry about getting grease on the baking sheet – it will only add more flavor to the poppers.
- In a large bowl, mix room temp cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon grease, garlic powder, and paprika until evenly blended and smooth. Pipe or spoon into jalapeno halves, smooth tops. Make sure to not overfill to avoid leakage while baking.
- When cool enough to handle, wrap one half slice of bacon around each stuffed jalapeno half. Secure bacon with toothpick(s) and place back on parchment-lined baking sheet(s).
- Bake the bacon-wrapped poppers for 1 hour, checking at the 30 minute and 45-minute mark. Bacon may splatter as it cooks in the oven, so be aware of potential smoke and be sure to clean grease out of the oven afterwards, when the oven is cooled and turned off.
- Once cooked, set the oven to BROIL (or raise temp to 450°F if you do not have a broil setting) and let the bacon-wrapped poppers cook and crisp up for an additional 10-15 minutes. Oven times will vary, and the time will depend on how crispy you want your poppers. I like mine crispy, but not burnt. Enjoy!
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Brianna Ascher
Brianna is a home cook who has traveled the world for her day job. She has combined her love for cooking with inspiration from the different locales and cultures she’s visited. Each place offers more great ideas for recipes. Brianna changed her diet in 2018 to focus on Keto, Low Car, and Carnivore meals. You can see more of the dishes she’s prepared on her Instagram channel, @IGotIdeas